I'll Always Remember
by SparklingFlames
Summary: James asks Lily out, and, as usual, she rejects him, but who knew that one simple moment could change everything? Please ReadReply.
1. Cry

16 year old Lily Evans walked down the stairs from the girl's dormitories into the Gryffindor common room, with her friend Alice, who was one year older than her.

"I know we've just gotten back, but I just can't wait until Christmas!" Alice said, happily.

"Is Frank going home with you for Christmas this year again?" Lily asked, interested. Alice and Frank had been going out since the end of their 5th year, and Lily's 4th.

"No. This year, I'm going to his. I can't wait to meet his parents!"

As completed the last couple of steps, Lily looked up and saw Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew sitting on the chairs.

"Hello, Remus."

"'Afternoon, Lily." He smiled.

"Evans." Sirius snorted.

"Black."

"Have you seen James?" Sirius asked, not looking up from his game of Wizard's Chess with Peter.

"Unfortunately. I saw him down by the lake about two hours ago." Lily replied.

"Oh my goodness. The lake! That must have been where I left my Potions book!" Alice exclaimed, "Could you do me a favor, Lily? Could you please go down there and see if it's there for me? I have to meet Frank and I'm already running late? Please?"

Lily smiled, "Of course."

"Be a dear, Lily. If you see James down there, tell him we're looking for him." Sirius laughed.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to." Lily replied, with a roll of her eyes.

Lily slowly walked down the hallways. She hoped she didn't run into him. James Potter was the last person she wanted to see, after the little scene just a couple of hours ago that nearly half the school witnessed.

**_I'll always remember  
It was late afternoon  
It last you forever  
And ended so soon (yea)  
You were all by yourself  
Staring up at a dark gray sky  
I was changed_**

------------------------------Flashback------------------------------------

"Hey, Lily!" James said, running to catch up with the redhead.

"What do you want?" Lily asked, frustrated, as she turned around. She knew what he wanted.

"Next weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend, and I want you to go with me," James said, grinning hopefully.

"That's just too bad, isn't it?" Lily replied, as she turned around and began to walk away. Unfortunately, she knew, James wasn't going to give up that easily. And she knew she was right when he began walking behind her.

"Oh, come on, Lily.." He began.

"No."

"But.."

"No." Lily repeated, as she continued walking, her pace slowly increasing.

"Just once! Why not?"

Lily stopped suddenly and turned around.

"Why not? You are a horrible excuse for a wizard. You shouldn't even be considered a human being! You're horrible to Severus, you treat me and half the other student's like trash, to make yourself feel better, and it's pathetic!

You constantly pull pranks on people, you humiliate them, and you think you're so cool while you're doing it! You're nothing but a huge ass, and I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last wizard—or man—on this planet! So take the hint, and leave me alone!" Lily screamed, before stomping away.

--------------------- End Flashback------------------

**_In places no one will find  
All your feelings so deep inside  
It was there  
That I realized  
That forever was in your eyes  
The moment I saw you cry_**

Lily didn't feel bad about it. He deserved it, she knew he did, but running into him would be awkward, not to mention annoying.

As Lily stepped outside, she quickly scanned the area, and she realized happily, she didn't see James. She walked out to the tree that she and Alice had been sitting at, and found Alice's book. Picking it up, she heard a quiet sniffle.

Lily looked around to see where it came from, when she saw it. It was James, sitting by the edge of the lake, with his knees at his chest, with, to Lily's surprise, tears in his eyes.

Curious, and shocked, she slowly walked over, and hesitantly sat down beside him.

"Are..Are you crying?" She asked. James sniffed once more, quickly wiping is cheeks.

"No." He replied, looking up at the sky.

"James.. what's wrong?"

"Nothing." He said, simply.

"This isn't about what I said, is it?" Lily asked, starting to feel guilty. She hadn't meant to make him cry.

"I told you, nothing's wrong! I'm not crying!" James screamed, a bit more loudly than he meant to, startling her.

"Alright.." She said, putting her hand on his arm, which was now wrapped around his legs, "But.. If something _was _wrong.. you could tell me.."

_**It was late in September  
And I've seen you before  
You were always the cold one  
But I was never that sure...  
You were all by yourself  
Staring up at a dark gray sky  
I was changed**_

James sat there, silently, for a moment, before reaching next to him, and picking up a piece of parchment, and handing it to her.

Lily slowly took it from him, and began to read it silently:

"_Dear Mr. James Potter_

_I regret to inform you that Mr. John Scott Potter, and Mrs. Rachel Karen Potter have both passed away this morning._

_Mrs. Rachel Potter had been found deceased at the site, from, what we now know, to be the work of an unforgivable curse, cast by an unknown suspect at the moment._

_Mr. John Potter was rushed to St. Mungos at 2:14 AM with severe head and neck injuries. He passed just minutes later, at 2:21AM._

_I am deeply sorry for your loss…"_

_**In places no one will find  
All your feelings so deep inside  
Was there that I realized  
That forever was in your eyes  
The moment I saw you cry**_

Lily couldn't read the rest. It had been smudged by tear stains. She could feel the tears begin to form in her eyes.

"James, I'm so sorry." She said, she didn't know what else to say. James nodded a quiet 'thank you', unable to say anything.

After a few minutes of silences, Lily stood up, and stood in front of him, and he looked up at her. She reached out her hand, and when he took it, she pulled him to his feet, before wrapping her arms around him, allowing him to cry on her shoulder.

_**I wanted to hold you  
I wanted to make it go away  
I wanted to know you  
I wanted to feel your everything, all right...**_

"I'm sorry." Lily whispered over and over as they slowly rocked back and forth.

She put each hand on either side of his face, and kissed his forehead.

"Why are you being so nice to me, all of a sudden? Pity?" He asked quietly. "I don't need pity, Lily."

"It's not pity. It's sympathy." Lily replied.

"What about earlier? Aren't you mad at me?"

Lily shook her head slowly, "Not anymore. Are you going to be okay?" He nodded.

"James, I'm sorry. And I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have said those things."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. Those things I said were horrible. You don't deserve to be called those things."

"I'm sorry for always asking you out." James said. He was looking at the ground, not her, and she could still see the tears roll down his cheeks.

"It's alright. Friends?" Lily asked.

James looked up, and smiled slightly, "Friends."

_**In places no one will find  
All your feelings so deep inside  
It was now that I realized  
That forever was in your eyes  
The moment I saw you cry  
**_-------------------------------------------------------------

All replies are appreciated :)


	2. I'll be there for you

"James, come on.You need to get up," Sirius grunted, frustrated, then turned to Remus, who was getting dressed, "A little help here?

Remus finished pulling his shirt on, then walked to James bed.

"Prongs, get up."

James rolled over and put his pillow over his head.

"Maybe Evans can get him up." Peter suggested from the doorway, as he bent down to tie his shoe. Remus shrugged, as Sirius walked pass Peter, and down the stairs.

He walked through the common room, and began walking up the stairs to the girl's dormitories.

_**So, no one told you life was going to be this way.**_

_**Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A.**_

_**It's like you're always stuck in second gear.**_

_**When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month**_

_**Or even your year, But..**_

"Evans!" He screamed, causing everyone in the common room to look over at him.

He had just gotten halfway up, when the stairs turned into a slide, and he slid down, landing on a 4th year.

"Good job, Black," Lily laughed from the top of the stairs.

Sirius laughed sarcastically, "Just get down here, Evans."

"Why?" She asked, as the slide turned back into stairs.

"Get your butt down here!"

Lily began to walk down to him, "What..do..you..want!" She asked slowly.

"You need to get James up."

"Why?" She asked.

"Because he hasn't gotten up since the funeral, and he won't listen to us."

"That was over a week ago." Lily replied.

"Thanks for the update, carrot top!"

Lily scoffed, and pushed past him. He followed her up the stairs and into the boy's dorms.

_**I'll be there for you**_

_**When the rain starts to pour**_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_**Like I've been there before**_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_**'Cause you're there for me, too.**_

"James?" She asked from the doorway.

When he didn't answer, she walked over to his bed, and sat down beside him.

"James, come on," Lily whispered.

He lifted the pillow off his head, "What?"

"You need to get up."

James shook his head, and put his pillow back. Lily sighed, and pulled the pillow away.

"You can not lie in bed all day."

"It's worked so far," He replied, simply.

"James come on. Get up. For me? We can talk, and get some food. You need to eat." Lily suggested.

James thought for a moment, then shrugged and pushed the covers off. As soon as he did, Lily realized he wasn't wearing anything but his boxers, and she quickly turned her head away.

James looked down, "Oh. Sorry."  
"I'll.. just wait in the Common Room," She laughed nervously.

_**You're still in bed at ten, and work began at eight.**_

_**You've burned your breakfast, so far**_

_**Things are going great.**_

_**Your mother warned you there'd be days like these**_

_**But she didn't tell you when the world has brought you**_

_**Down to your knees, that..**_

Half an hour later, they were on their way to the Great Hall.

"So.. what do you want to talk about?" Lily asked. James shrugged his shoulders again

"Anything."

"Can I ask you something, then?"

"Sure," James replied as they turned the corner into the Great Hall. It was empty, except for a few Hufflepuffs, and a Ravenclaw.

"Why do you always pick on Severus?" She asked. They sat down at the Gryffindor table, and James shrugged as he picked up a pancake and put it down on his plate

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do," She insisted.

"I.. I was jealous of him, I guess." James laughed.

"Why?" Lily asked, taking a bite of her scrambled eggs.

"He has a crush on you, and you're always so nice to him."

"He does not," Lily snorted.

"Yeah, he does," He replied.

"Nu-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Did you just 'yeah-huh' my 'nu-uh'?" Lily asked, laughing.

"Yeah, I did. What are you going to do about it?" James teased.

Lily grabbed a handful of her scrambled eggs, and smashed it against the side of his head, laughing hysterically at him.

James looked at her in shock, before he smashed the remainder of his pancake in his hand and crushed it on top of her head.

"You look hilarious," He said, laughing.

"Speak for yourself," She giggled, brushing the pancake out of her hair.

_**I'll be there for you**_

_**When the rain starts to pour**_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_**Like I've been there before**_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_**'Cause you're there for me, too.**_


End file.
